Being With Jesus

It is with Jesus that we freely receive all things Romans 8:32 When it talks of freely you have received freely give in Matthew 10:8 we freely receive when we are with Jesus.

What does it mean to be with Jesus? Acts 4:13 talks of the Israeli leaders understanding the apostles had been with Jesus. It was the confidence of their ministry that amazed the leaders. Confidence is an expression of faith. Hebrews 11:1 says there is assurance when there is faith. With assurance there is confidence. When you are confident there is no worry. Being with Jesus takes away the worry.

John 14:1 “Do not let your heart be troubled; believe in God believe also in Me.” Belief is a way to be with Jesus. So let us believe. Not only a acknowledge the existence of Jesus as the Messiah. Not only an understanding of what He did for us on the cross. Not only a statement that we will follow Him. Not only a commitment to worship Him on Sunday morning. It is also a desire to sit down and be quiet with Him for devotions. A being with Him in devotions. Having a quiet time to listen and learn from Him. Then walking in confidence of what you have been shown by God in that quiet place of restful hearing from God.

Romans 8:17 shows insight to be with Jesus. It starts out by making a conditional promise.

If we are children of God. Have we become children of God? Are you confident of your salvation. I work in a ministry of seniors. Sometimes they don't express their lack of confidence until the very end. It takes a shaking for us to face reality at times. The shaking of our lives is the testing of our lives. Don't wait to be tested. Get right with God now. At life's end, you may be drugged up so much you won't be able to make a decision for Christ.

Be quiet before Him and let Jesus speak to you. As you hear Him there is life. Some are so involved with the moment, radio playing, or the TV going that the mind is being baby sat and not operating. Our mind allows us to grow in Christ. But if it is always busy with the internet, TV, movies, sports, shopping, music and silly talk, drugs and alcohol, then there is not opportunity to grow.

We are heirs of the bountiful promises of God IF and this is a big IF, if indeed we suffer with Christ. People are so adverse to suffering that all the things we add to our life to drown out the reality keeps us from growing in Christ. These things stunt our growth and we become chronically immature.

We can't minister in faith with confidence if we are not spending time with Jesus to hear from Him. It is as we hear from Him that we have the word of faith. Romans 10:8 Our faith springs from the Word of God. There can't be faith springing from the word of God if we are consumed with the cares of the world. Ask yourself, how much time are you spending on the Bible, prayer and listening to the Spirit? Are you honestly so busy with the cares of this world drowning out your ability to listen, that growth is stunted?

Before they perfected electronic speakers, I remember seeing teenagers walking down the sidewalk with a large radio on their shoulder listening to music. I see that today in the spirit. People have got something in their ear, they have their smart phone to look at with any spare time. This is an expression of not being at peace with themselves. They need outside influence to maintain.

Spend time with Jesus You won't regret it.

Prosperity and Peace

Prosperity and peace go together. If you don't have enough, there is tension because you are striving to get the basic needs for your life. Peace is hard to come by without having what you need.

Jesus said in John 16:33 "These things I have spoken to you, so that in Me you may have peace. In the world you have tribulation, but take courage; I have overcome the world.” 

This verse presents a different dynamic to peace and prosperity. God's word will bring peace to us as we live by faith, not by sight. The world has problems, but Jesus has overcome the world. How has He overcome the world for us? "And this is the victory that has overcome the world our faith." 1 Jn 5:4b

In the spiritual, we overcome by faith. The natural will present problems, but faith in the word of God will overcome the problems in the natural.

Ps 122:7 seems to be talking of peace and prosperity in the natural. Yes, the two go together. It is hard to have one without the other. In the spirit there is a different dynamic. Life can be superseded by the word of God.

At times spiritual peace and natural peace look the same. You can tell the difference when trials, tribulations and troubles come our way. Spiritual peace will shine during the trial, but natural peace will crash.

There is no strength with natural peace. It is just enjoyed as it happens. Spiritual peace, on the other hand, is not reliant on circumstances or others. There is a joy and peace given by God to those who walk with Him by faith. They are not looking at what is seen but what is not seen. Their life is hid in God. Life circumstances don't shake them. Why? Because they are living according to the promises of God. Their concerns are given to God and they receive peace according to the promise given in Phil 4:6-9

Yes, God offers prosperity, but we are not to focus on prosperity or seek it as a primary object.  1 Tim 6:9 gives a warning. "But those who want to get rich fall into temptation and a snare and many foolish and harmful desires which plunge men into ruin and destruction." In fact, we are to flee riches and seek the things of the spirit. 1 Tim 6:11

That is not to say that blessings aren't a by-product following God. Yes, blessing will come, but the example and lessons of Job show that we are not to judge others who have not entered into the life of prosperity.

(What are the quick lessons of Job?
1 Things aren't always as they look.
2 Don't be quick to judge.
3 Job came closer to God through trials.
4 Job was healed when he prayed for his friends.
5 The good generic counsel of Job's friends didn't apply to him.)

We are to use the blessings and prosperity we have received to minister to others for the Lord Jesus Christ. 2 Cor 9:8  "And God is able to make all grace abound to you, so that always having all sufficiency in everything, you may have an abundance for every good deed."

What do you do if your basic needs aren't met? Go to God in prayer, receive peace from Him, walk in faith and joy, not in your circumstances but in your relationship with God.

Phil 4:11 Paul learned to be content in whatever circumstance he found himself. "Not that I speak from want, for I have learned to be content in whatever circumstances I am." When he wrote that he was sitting in a jail cell. 

We can be content wherever we are as we have a close relationship with Christ. Only our walk with Christ fulfills, not the abundance of stuff. 

Desire contentment; seek for contentment. It is a rare jewel. With contentment comes peace, allowing us to advance in the kingdome of God.

Psalm 33:17 "A horse is a false hope for victory nor does it deliver anyone by its great strength."

People look at having things and investments for security, yet it is not our ability in the natural that will give us victory. Victory comes through the Lord. We should not reject the natural means as led by God but use it to serve the Lord. Keep in mind the natural is only a tool the Lord uses. 

Serve God, walk in peace and prosperity, minister to others and live in a peace that is not reliant upon circumstances but on Jesus, the Prince of Peace.

Go in peace,

Scott

Isaiah 30:15 # 3 Rest - The Rest of Faith

Isaiah 30:15
“For thus the Lord God, the Holy One of Israel, has said,
'In repentance and rest you will be saved,
In quietness and trust is your strength.'
But you were not willing.”

Rest – The rest of faith

When we turn to God and have faith in Him we don't have to worry. We don't have to work for the promise of God. We can rest because the work has already been done. Jesus paid it all on the cross. When we hear from God there is an assurance of the answer. We do not have to work anymore. We don't have to worry if we are good enough. We can rest in the promise of Jesus. Our work is done. The work of a disciple of Jesus is to trust in the finished work of the cross. The work of a Christian is to believe in Jesus. One of my favorite verses in the Bible and it has become a verse that is becoming a defining verse for me is John 6:21 When Jesus got in the boat the boat was immediately at the other side.

Ex 13:14 “My presence will go with you and I will give you rest.
As we follow Jesus we have the fellowship with God. We talk with Him and He talks to us. When we have His presence we have rest. Psalm 91 talks about abiding in the shelter of the most High we will abide in the shadow of the Almighty. When we are in His shadow He is right there with us.

Psalm 116:7 “Return to your rest O my soul, for the Lord has dealt bountifully with you.
A person of God will return to God after the work of the day is tiring.

Psalm 55:6 “ O that I had wings like a dove; I would fly away and be at rest.
We can to God at any time. We do have wings so to speak because as we go to God in prayer we are in His presence in the spirit. To be with God and to know that He hears our prayers will give us rest.

Matthew 11:29 “Come unto me all you who are weary and heavy laden and I will give you rest.
Again it is coming to God that brings rest. He will give us rest. But it is not the way we might expect. He says He offers a yoke that we should take upon us. As we yoke up with Jesus we are free from the worlds ways. The Bible says we are either a slave of sin or a slave of righteousness. To choose to work for Jesus liberates us from following the ways of the world.

Jeremiah 6:16 “Stand by the ways and see and ask for the ancient paths where the good way is and walk in it and you will find rest for you souls, but they said we will not walk in it.
Man is always looking for something new. But there really is nothing new under the sun. there is the way of sin and the way of righteousness. The old ways of trusting God and not man. The narrow way is not followed by many. But as we build our life on the instrustions of God we are assured of going according to life and not death.

Hebrews 4:3 For we who have believed enter that rest.
You can't believe and worry at the same time. So to believe is to rest in what God has promised. The Israelites did not believe God would provide

Psalm 23:1,2 The Lord is my shepherd, I shall not want. He makes me lie down in green pastures; He leads me beside quiet waters.
God is our shepherd and will provide our needs. But if we don't accept His guide to rest He will make us rest. This is why time with God is important. To our health. It also is important for effectiveness in service. We are representatives of God and without input from Him we don't represent anything we are just religious.


It was after this travel that Elijah was quiet and recognized God from a gentle breeze.